The local aerospace industry includes businesses that manufacture aircraft equipment and parts, service and repair aircraft, produce and distribute transportation equipment and supplies, and provide both scheduled and unscheduled air transportation. These activities can be classified in two major sectors: Services/Manufacturing and Transportation.

The Aerospace Committee of The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce represents all aspects of this vital segment of San Antonio’s economy. In an effort to broaden community understanding of the industry's contribution to the local economy, The Chamber commissioned Dr. Richard Butler and Dr. Mary Stefl of Trinity University to conduct this study.

Information for the economic impact study was obtained from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Following the same methodology used in The Chamber’s series of Economic Impact Studies, the aerospace study is based on TWC’s quarterly wage and employment data aggregated along the lines of business defined by the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS).

For reasons described in the Technical Notes section of this report, the Committee believes that the TWC data significantly understates the true size of the aerospace industry in San Antonio. To put the TWC numbers in perspective, the Committee conducted a survey of major aerospace employers. Results of the survey are also included in this report.